Police report uncooperative victims in separate shootings

Two men were shot during separate incidents late Friday night/early Saturday morning in Merced — and police say the victims were uncooperative in both cases.

The first incident occurred on the 1200 block of Canal Street around 10:50 p.m. Merced Police Cmdr. Floyd Higdon said the victim, 19-year-old Jose Emanuel Ibarra, reported he had been shooting fireworks in front of his home with family members.

As he was following his family into the home, Ibarra reported that he was shot between seven and eight times in the torso and leg. Police said no witnesses reported seeing the shooting — although between eight and nine Hispanic males, ages 15 to early 20s, were seen running eastbound on 12th Street.

Another shooting was reported after a 24-year-old man approached a Merced police officer in the parking lot of Mercy Medical Center Merced at 12:39 a.m. on Saturday.

Explore where you live.

The man, Jimmy Wilson Saldana of Merced, had been shot in the left cheek — and the bullet exited his right eye. Saldana was treated and transported to a hospital in Fresno, Higdon said. The man would not share any further details with police, Higdon said. Police are asking anyone with information about these incidents to call the department’s anonymous tip-line at (209) 385-4725 or Sgt. Scott Skinner at (209) 385-4703.